Eleven Things, Eleven Questions

To start, I’m supposed to share 11 things about myself. I thought it would be interesting to think of eleven ways my life has changed since moving to Paris, so here we go:

1. I was never particularly passionate about driving (though I did love my car, which you’ll read more about later), but now I’ve become a devotee of public transportation. I’ve got the Métro map memorized – well, most of it – and would usually rather take a Noctilien or a Vélib than a taxi after hours.

3. My instinct now is to “bise” (the two air-kisses used as greeting in France) people instead of hugging them. At first, bises feel more intimate, because that is the way you greet just about anyone, including people you’re meeting for the first time. When an American friend comes to town, and instinctively reaches for a hug, it feels weird at first, and then it feels wonderful. It makes me realize just how separate the bises keep you from people after a while.

4. Going out to dinner almost always means at least three courses. Where before, in the States, a three-course meal in a nice restaurant was reserved for special occasions, here in Paris it is the norm. (A special occasion merits five courses or more.)

5. In the first 30 years of my life, I took five transatlantic flights – two moving to and from France, two for our honeymoon, and one to move here again. In the last five years, I have taken eight – that’s four trips back to the USA – with another two coming up this summer. Where is all this extra travel money coming from? And what about the extra time?

6. To answer that first question, I have basically stopped buying clothes. My shopping habits changed dramatically when we moved to Paris. I used to be something of a shopaholic, and I pretty much quit cold turkey. This was partly because I had no job and no income for the first six months, but more because there is very little mid-range shopping in Paris. Either you drop 600 euros on a designer coat, or you get a 20 euro one that will fall apart after a season. Neither option really appeals to me, so I mostly abstain.

7. As for that second question, five weeks of paid vacation a year. This just feels so civilized, so right. I fear that it may be making me soft, though, and that when we eventually return to the States, I’m going to have a hard time adjusting to working year-round with so little (if any) vacation. In my last job there, for example, I took two and a half weeks off (unpaid) in three and a half years of working. And that only because I got married.

8. Most of the TV I watch these days is over the internet. I realize this is probably true for a lot of people, and has less to do with the fact that I live in France and more to do with rapidly changing technology. But I will say that I miss having shows that I watched every week – the anticipation of a new episode, the discussion of plotlines and characters at work the next day… it’s just not the same when you can watch anything at will.

9. Having fewer than four types of cheese in the fridge constitutes being out of cheese.

10. The dryer is never used for clothes, only sheets and towels. All clothes hang dry. Having a dryer at all is kind of ridiculously luxurious.

11. In five short years, I have come to fully understand French bureaucracy, international tax laws, and parisian weather. Just kidding.

Next, the answers to the 11 questions I was given:

1. What is your go-to, most comforting meal?

I’d like to say foie gras, except that isn’t really a meal. I really enjoy making and eating homemade pizza, but it’s possible that I make this spicy vegetable dal more than anything else, and it always makes me happy.

2. Top 5 destinations you hope to travel to some day?

Rome is pretty high on the list right now, thanks to Woody Allen (romance!), Anthony Bourdain (food!), and a vibrant craft beer scene. I suppose they have some art there too. I’d also like to visit Japan, Machu Picchu/Peru, and Tunisia – Carthage in particular. It goes without saying that I would eat the hell out of the local specialties in any of these places. And I’m pretty excited about my upcoming trip to Corsica.

3. Top 5 places you have already visited?

This is hard! In no particular order, and without thinking too much, and not counting France because I live here, my gut says: Barcelona, Jamaica, Lisbon, Germany (both Munich and Köln), and Bulgaria.

4. What song takes you back to your senior year in high school like it was yesterday?

I’m kind of drawing a blank here. But I’m pretty sure I listened to a lot of Weezer’s blue album that year. And a lot of The Beatles.

5. What was your first car?

A gray 1987 Volvo 240 DL. In fact, the only car I’ve ever owned. It had 211,179 miles on it when the odometer stopped working. I drove it for 5 more years after that, but I had to give it up when we moved to France.

Having a place to practice writing on my own terms. And making/keeping in touch with friends all over the world!

9. Three pieces of advice you would give younger you?

12 years ago: Learn more about computers and the internet. Start a blog now. 5 years ago: Buy an apartment in Paris. 2 years ago: Your training and expertise in baking and pastry are worth more than you think. Don’t give professional advice for free, and protect your intellectual property.

10. What would be your perfect date?

Dates, at least in my limited and long-ago experience, seem to be awkward by definition. Dinner and snuggling on the couch with my husband and the cat? Perfection.

11. Could you recommend 2 books that moved you (any genre)?

The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut; La Nausée by Jean-Paul Sartre (at the risk of sounding snooty, it’s not nearly as good in English)

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13 responses

Yay! I love learning new things about good friends 🙂 I am completely in agreement about not ever wanting to be without my CSA (among several other comments you made – the cheese one just fills me with nostalgia and more than a little bit of friendly envy). Thanks for playing along!

I loved reading this–it felt a bit like spying since I’ve only met you once 😮 But I feel the same way about les bises vs. hugging + having no less than 4 types of cheese in the frigo. We were in Rome last year, and I know Italy pretty well if you need any food/beer advice… but going there is definitely an emergency. Oh, and my first car was a volvo 240 too… I miss that car everyday, though my little Renault Clio suits me just fine these days 🙂

How fun; I loved reading about you and your answers to the 11 questions. Seeing your picture of the radishes reminds me how difficult it is to find them in the US. I will be happy to be able to go to the market soon in Provence and buy them and enjoy with butter or salt. Your description of the difference between dining out in France and the US is right on. Have a great day.

I knew we were kindred spirits. Up until a couple of years ago, the car I would drive on each return trip home was the 1986 Volvo station wagon which I drove all through high school. When I babysat and had to chauffeur the kids anywhere, they were mortified to have to ride in the big, gray “rocket ship”!!

I just finished reading The Sweet Life in Paris, so it is particularly interesting to hear your commentary now! I’ve always felt that you need at least four cheeses for utility, then beyond that for fun. Of course I’m from Wisconsin (which means I probably have at least 4 kinds of beer at any time too). Hmm, I feel happier about life than I did a few minutes ago.